Community Blogs

The Cost of Community Use - Dude Data Matters

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In 2005 I was hired by SchoolDude as a Client Adviser. Growing up in the tech support and implementation side of the business, I gained a unique appreciation for the challenges and opportunities facing facility operations professionals at schools.In 2009 the Dude created a Success Management team, where I was fortunate to lead a small team responsible for engaging clients, assessing their opportunities, and helping to maximize their investment. In 2012 started wearing two big hats - Community Engagement Manager and Chief Data Dude. Today I'm very excited to be managing our Client Support team. My passion lies in leading this team of legendary support professionals, connecting peers in SchoolDude Nation, creating a valuable Community experience, and telling stories with data that inspire success in Facility Operations.

The community use process is complex. Coordinating everything that has to happen for a permit can be labor intensive. Think about all of the moving parts for a single event: cross checking multiple calendars for available space, notifying custodians and other service providers when and where they are needed, tracking down approvals from administrators, athletic directors, and various other stakeholders depending on the space.

And the trend of community use is on the rise. In the last decade, community use of school facilities increased by 45%. This trend reflects growing sentiment that school facilities should be used more frequently because taxpayers and other stakeholders have invested billions in these assets.

The growing number of community groups looking to use school facilities to host their meetings, practices, and events is increasing the financial burden on operating staffs and budgets that are already stretched thin.

Check out this quarter's Dude Data Matters to learn more about on the challenges operations professional face with community use, what the opportunities are, and suggestions on how to optimize the process for your organization.